


Stories from the Bottom of the Well

by fleurodine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Innocence, M/M, Post-War, Post-World War II, Storytelling, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurodine/pseuds/fleurodine
Summary: The Beilschmidt family had just moved in to their new home in Naples, Italy. One day, while visiting a vineyard in Tuscany, Ludwig Beilschmidt finds an abandoned and dried up well. As he looks down at the bottom, he finds a hopeless romantic who tells stories while under the moonlight.As their friendship blossoms, so does their curiosity for one another.
Relationships: Germany/North Italy (Hetalia), South Italy/Spain (Hetalia)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. From Frankfurt to Naples

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in late 1945, a few months after the second world war. This is my second story so far so if you have any criticisms or things you want to point out (such as typographical or geographical errors, or historical inaccuracies), please feel free to comment. Feedback is highly appreciated.
> 
> I'm not a native English speaker, so please inform me if I've made spelling or grammatical errors. It helps out a lot.
> 
> If you like the story, consider voting or commenting in the chapter. It lets me know that you enjoyed the story.

The sound of the train tracks clanking made the young boy on the train anxious. Ludwig Beilschmidt, who was just 14 years old, sat patiently beside his older brother, Gilbert. Clutching his satchel, he wondered what their new neighborhood would be like. Moving in to a new home was one thing, but immigrating to a different country was another. He did not like it one bit, to move to a new and very different place that they'll soon call " _home_ ". Of course, he did not complain about it to his father for he was more obedient than his brother, but he was more than surprised to why Gilbert would agree to it so quickly.

"Hey brother, back when we were still in Frankfurt, why did you agree to _Vati's_ decision to move?"

Gilbert, without missing a heartbeat, answered nonchalantly, "I heard from a friend that there are many beautiful women in Italy! I'm tired of all the blue eyes and blonde hair nonsense back home. I wanna see some variety!"

"I was initially surprised about your decision to come with us to Italy, but now that I've heard your reasons, I guess I should have expected that."

The albino let out a chortle and a small pat on his brother's back. "Aww come on Luddy. Loosen up a bit. At least where we're going is not some hell hole. I mean, if we stayed back, those Americans are going to have to stick their noses in somebody else's personal business and besides, Frankfurt still looks as lifeless as ever. If you look outside your window, you'll see what I mean."

The young Beilschmidt decided to take his brother's word and looked outside. There, he saw open fields that seemingly stretch out for miles and the beautiful blue sky with patches of fluffy clouds. Everything looked so beautiful and picturesque. The only thing stopping him from reaching out to feel the sun's warmth was the glass pane and his father watching over them, preventing them from doing something stupid (most especially Gilbert).

As the train reached to a complete halt, they reached for their suitcases and headed towards the exit. The sound of the bustling train station fills their ears as they look at their father, who seems to be looking for someone. A few minutes later after walking aimlessly around the station, they spot a man in a brown coat waving at them with both arms in the air who was trying to catch their attention. They follow their father, who was walking towards the man, and was then greeted with a warm hug. "Aldrich, it's so good to finally see you again! It's been five years since I've seen you last," the man says as he releases his arms from his father.

"Boys, this is my dear friend Mr. Roma Vargas. We met each other a few years ago before the war. He's been kind enough to let us stay in one of his villas here at Naples."

Ludwig stretched out and shook his hand with the older man's with a great sense of gratitude. "Thank you so much sir. We are in debt of your kindness." Roma quickly takes off the glove covering his hand and returns the gesture. As he shook his hand, Ludwig notices how calloused his palm was. Roma notices this and kneels down and smiles at him.

"You were probably wondering why my hands are like this, aren't you?"

"I suspect it's from your years of hard work and dedication, right?"

"I guess you could say that, but how could you deduce that quickly if you haven't seen my other hand?" Roma then shows his left hand and took out the glove. To his surprise, he finds the older man's left hand to be more calloused and missing a finger.

"Pardon me sir for intruding but—"

"Well Aldrich, your kid over here sure is a curious one," Roma cuts him off before he could finish his sentence. "Are you sure he didn't learn to stick his nose on other people's business from those Americans?"

"I'm sorry Roma, he's normally more respectful to—"

The Italian gives off a hearty chuckle as he lightly slaps his friends back. "Don't worry about it. He's an eager learner I can tell. I can't blame him for wanting to know more about it. I myself, was quite the tattler when I was younger. Besides, I would also like to know more about your life back at Frankfurt."

"Maybe we should just continue talking while we make our way to your place. It's getting pretty late I say," Aldrich remarks, which sounded more like mumbled words rather than a clear statement.

As they drove around the city, both older men decided to catch up with their lives through some chatting. "How was it? Back at Frankfurt I mean."

"Well for one, there are Americans loitered all around the streets. They feel like its an obligation for them to be there, just because the Allies won the war or something. I'm not complaining about them winning though, in fact I'm grateful. It's just that... why couldn't they just exercise some manners? Honestly, how much more arrogant could they be? Well, how about you? How's your life out here in Naples?"

"Oh nono _nono_... I live in Tuscany now. But my life is going better than what I had expected. Before, I thought that after the war, my family and I would be done for. I then remembered that I had this rather large plot of land back at Tuscany, so I decided to turn it into a vineyard."

"Well your entrepreneurship expertise definitely payed off. I doubt that we have enough to pay you back after I get a more stable job," Aldrich nervously laughed.

"No need to worry about paying me back. A dear friend like you is more than welcome to stay around for as long as you want."

While they both continued with their little exchange, the two boys were growing tired. Gilbert's eyelids were starting to get heavy while Ludwig desperately tries to keep his posture upright to avoid sleeping. After a few minutes, they finally arrive at San Lorenzo, an urbanized neighborhood in the heart of Naples. The bustling city life is felt as it fills every corner and every street. Ludwig takes the time to look around his new neighborhood as they soon walk inside a rather large house.

"So we'll be staying over here from now on, right _Vati_?" Gilbert questions as he continues to admire the architecture of the winemaker's abode.

"Yes, we are staying here Gilbert."

Gilbert's stood agape, his face clearly in awe at how grand their new home was. They have never received anything like this, most especially during the war, but now that it has come to this, they felt like the luckiest people in the world. "Could you believe it Luddy, we're staying here!"

Ludwig could only muster up a nervous smile at his brother. He was grateful, yes, but a little scared to call this unfamiliar place " _home_ ".

While Gilbert bounced around the house following his father, Ludwig, on the other hand, was following Roma like a lost lamb. He watched him open up the blinds and walk around the garden. Roma stopped and turned around to face the young boy who had been tagging him around for 15 minutes.

"What is it little Beilschmidt? Can I help you with something?"

Truthfully, he only wanted to know more about his missing finger, but he decided to change the topic at mind.

"I'm sorry if I sound like I'm intruding your personal life, but you talked about having a family while we were still at the car. I just want to know where there are they now?"

"I have three grandsons in Tuscany, and they're all I have left. They're all very wonderful boys, I tell you. They help me tend the vineyard during their spare time. All of them still attend school, although they had to stop for a while because of the war. How about you? Are you going to school?"

Ludwig fiddled his fingers and shook his head. "Not at the moment sir. Both my brother and I had to stop going last year because we didn't have enough money, and the war was too dangerous for us to be out."

"Well that's understandable considering your circumstances. But does your father plan on letting both of you go back to school?"

" _Vati_ told me that I'll go back to school once he gets a job. It might take a while but we'll get used to it eventually."

Roma cracks a small smile and pats Ludwig's back. "You don't have to worry about that. I talked with your father a while ago and he agreed to work in my vineyard so that means your family won't have to worry about your financial dilemma. That also means you and your brother can continue with your education. After all, attaining basic education is important in landing yourself a high paying job."

"But that means _Vati's_ travelling to Tuscany and that's far away from here. When will he come back?"

"Don't worry, he'll always come back every weekend."

Ludwig was delighted to hear the news and shook Roma's hand in gratitude. "Thank you so much Mr. Vargas!"

He then skipped back inside to tell the great news to Gilbert as Roma quietly chuckled behind.

* * *

Gilbert had been waiting inside their bedroom doing who knows what while their father told him to stay put and count and check their luggage. Though there wasn't much to check as they left with only their essentials and what little valuables they could carry. Gerald only asked of him to do that while he went back downstairs to look for Roma and to keep away from his irritating antics. "Brother! Have you heard? We're going back to school!" Ludwig ecstatically told Gilbert as he opened the door.

"We're going back to school? Well, there goes my freedom but hey, now we get to talk to those beautiful Italian ladies huh. Isn't that fun?" Gilbert goes on with his daydreaming while Ludwig just scoffs it off.

"I'm sure there are _plenty_ of women for you to talk to brother but don't you feel bad for _Vati_? He'll be out there working at Tuscany while we'll be left here until he comes back."

Gilbert was shocked to hear the news. " _Vati_? Working in Tuscany? But isn't that far away from here? Will he ever come back?"

"Of course he'll come back, but only on weekends."

Gilbert sighed in relief. "Well that's good to know... but now I'm a little angry though."

"Huh? Why?"

Gilbert debated on whether to say it or not, fearing (but only slightly) that it would sound petty, but told his brother anyway. "Where did you hear that news from? Did _Vati_ tell you? Why didn't he tell me? I'm supposed to be the first one to know about everything important," Gilbert huffed, his forehead furrowing.

Ludwig waved his hands, signaling his brother to stop talking. It was visible that Gilbert wasn't just _"a little mad"_ as opposed to what he had just said earlier. "Ok, calm down brother. _Vati_ didn't tell me that. It was Mr. Vargas. He told me—"

"SEE!? THAT'S EVEN WORSE! Not only did he _not_ tell his own sons about his new job, but instead you heard it from someone else! Does he really trust us? What if something bad happens to him while he's at work? We wouldn't be there to help him!"

Ludwig could only watch his brother flail his arms around while pacing back and forth. His cheeks quickly turning red in a fit of rage as he uttered a string of words under his breath, some of which were too profane for Ludwig's liking. "I just can't believe it!"

"Calm down brother, you're overreacting too much. You know _Vati_. He's not one to talk about these matters right away. He's a more... how should I put this... timid person, remember? He's not the type of person who would say "I love you" to his own sons vocally even if he wants to."

Gilbert pondered for a bit and let out a long sigh. What his brother said did make sense. His father was rather aloof. "Fine, fine. I get it. It's just that... he's been too secretive recently."

Ludwig patted his brother's back in comfort. He knew why Gilbert acted this way, a little too paranoid when discussions involved their _Vati_.

They had found out during the war that their father had resorted to drinking his problems away, instead of fixing then. Most of the time, it was due to his extreme paranoia about the Russians. They had heard terrifying stories about their army, on how ruthless they can be towards women and children. Though they were only stories and were not sure if those were even true, their father couldn't help but constantly worry about their safety. Other times he drank because of his fear of getting into crippling debt. After all, countless others have found themselves in that position.

Their father was no drunkard, but Ludwig knew that war changes a man.

A knock was heard from the door and both boys looked behind to see who it was.

"Speak of the devil," Gilbert murmured.

"Hello boys," Aldrich said, peering behind the door. "Everything okay? I heard some shouting coming from up here. Just wanted to check if there were any problems."

"It's nothing," Gilbert huffed again.

"It's okay _Vati_ ," Ludwig chimed in. "We were just talking about school."

"That's good to know. Oh, that reminds me. You're both finally going back to school!"

"We know," Gilbert muttered in a hint of irritation in his tone.

"What's wrong Gilbert?" Aldrich was now concerned. "I don't like the tone of your voice. Did I do something wrong to you or—"

"Wrong?" Gilbert was now fuming. "Of course there's something wrong! Ludwig just heard from Mr. Vargas that you were going to work!"

"Of course I should work! Who do you think provides—"

"But you're working in Tuscany! That's far away from Naples and you'll be gone for almost a week!"

"But I'll be back on weekends," Aldrich retaliated.

"Weekends aren't enough! Isn't being a happy family what we came here for? That we'll live here without any worries? That we'll be a complete family? But now, you're going to work far away from us while you expect us to be left alone in Naples?"

"I never told you nor anyone that I'll be leaving you two alone! What do you take me for, a deadbeat father? And what do you mean by a complete family? Our family hasn't been complete ever since your mother—"

 _"WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STOP THIS!"_ Ludwig was now disoriented and his face covered in tears. "I'm tired of all of this shouting. _Vati_ , you told me before moving that every bad thing that happened in Frankfurt should stay in Frankfurt. Are we going to bring this constant arguing here as well?"

The youngest Beilschmidt's sudden outburst has made the whole room quiet. Both Gerald and Gilbert were in shock. They've made their stoic little boy cry in frustration and that alone shattered their hearts.

Aldrich knelt down as he held Ludwig's hands. "I'm terribly sorry that you had to see that Ludwig. Truly, I am. I promise you that you would never have to see that again."

"You told me that three times before."

"Yes... But I was drunk during those times. This time I'm sober. Sober enough to remember and tell you that I'll keep that promise."

Ludwig felt his eyes water again, and to save both his father and brother the trouble to see him cry again, he hugged his father, burying his head at the crook of Aldrich's neck. And Aldrich reciprocated the gesture, hugging and rubbing his son's back in an effort to help him calm down.

Gilbert had finally recollected his composure. He took a few steps forward, now standing behind his father's back.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you like that _Vati_ ," Gilbert muttered with his head hung low. "I won't do that again."

Gerald smiled and outstretched his other arm, an invitation for him to join in for a hug, and Gilbert (though admittedly reluctant) took it.

And the three of them stayed that way for another few minutes until Ludwig spoke up again.

" _Vati_ , do you think Mr. Vargas heard us arguing?"

" _Scheiße_ ," Gilbert said as he was horrified at the thought of his father's employer overhearing their shouting.

"Mind your language Gilbert," Aldrich scolded. "And don't worry about Roma. He left early to Tuscany, said he needed to check on his grandsons."

Gilbert and Ludwig sighed in relief. "Thank God," they both said in unison.

"You know what, all this shouting has made me hungry," Gilbert added. "Have we eaten lunch yet?"

"Certainly not," Aldrich replied. "Come, why don't we all eat out tonight. Roma has recommended me to check out the osteria down the street. He told me they serve a rather mean plate of pasta."

"That sounds great _Vati_! Don't you agree Ludwig?"

Ludwig simply nodded at his brother. He was not hungry, nor was he a huge fan of pasta in general. In fact, he had a rather unpleasant experience with eating pasta for the first time. It was three years ago on a summer day and found a plate of ravioli sitting by the sink. He finished the whole thing, yet unknown to him was the fact that the pasta had already been expired since the day before. He got extremely sick the next day and he recalled his father scolding Gilbert about it. Apparently it was his fault for not discarding the moldering dish that day. But Ludwig had enough reminiscing about the past. After all, every bad thing that happens in Frankfurt, stays in Frankfurt right? Maybe the pasta will be as good as Mr. Vargas claims it to be?

Ludwig took out a neat, white shirt from his suitcase and a set of pants to wear. He'd been meaning to wear that shirt for his first day of school, but why wait if he could wear it now? After all, it'd be a waste not to wear it on a fine day like this. He might even attract some lovely women while walking down the street. His brother _did_ say it himself that Italian women were very attractive, but that was the least of his concerns. He was actually more concerned about keeping his clothes clean while eating out.

"Well would look at that! My little brother all dressed up like a lady-killer!" Gilbert let out a chortle at the sight of Ludwig looking too neat for his own liking.

"Shut up Gilbert, I just happen to like this shirt." Ludwig tried desperately to ignore his brother's teasing, but his booming laughter makes it all too hard. He leaves the room, hopeful that his brother finally dresses up and stops laughing.


	2. In an Italian Osteria

It seems to be that Gilbert was right all along, there were indeed _a lot_ of pretty women in Italy. Ludwig was rather amazed at the sight of many dark-haired girls, of course that was no surprise considering they were in Italy now. He looked at Gilbert who was seemingly giving flirtatious looks at the girls who passed by, who all the more so returned the favor by giving coy glances and a few giggles. Perhaps they found him attractive. Perhaps even weird, seeing a person with a head full of white hair and red eyes as it was not common to see such a peculiar sight. Ludwig might never know, he thought women were too complicated to understand.

Meanwhile, Aldrich had begun to grow irritated at Gilbert's behavior. "Gilbert, please behave yourself. We're here to have lunch, not to catch a date."

"Aww _Vati_ , I'm just having a little bit of fun! And why have lunch when you can have all these delectable women surrounding you." And soon enough, Aldrich had pinched Gilbert's arm which earned a wail of pain from the albino. Ludwig only shook his head, he expected just as much from his brother. While walking, the passed by a small cantina, the scent of freshly brewed coffee had wafted into Ludwig's nose.

It has been a long time, Ludwig thought, since he ever had the chance to drink a warm cup of coffee. _Real coffee._ Not like the substitute ones they usually had back in Germany. Maybe he'll have a cup one day. Coffee made from ground coffee beans are pricey nowadays, but Ludwig didn't mind at all. He was too busy imagining what real coffee tasted like.

"Smells good, doesn't it?" his father said.

"Yeah. It does."

"I'll treat you and your brother in there one day, once I receive my pay."

Ludwig smiled. The thought of drinking coffee with his family in a quiet afternoon sounded lovely.

They've finally reached the osteria and the smell of freshly cooked pasta filled the air with such warmth and life. Few people were inside, but their happy smiles show that they are contented.

Ludwig was starting to like the feel of this place. Maybe moving to Italy was not as bad as he initially thought. They took a seat next to the window and soon, the waitress made her way towards their table. Aldrich had ordered bruschetta and lasagne for the three of them and Gilbert could help but drool. Ludwig never had lasagne before. What does it look like? How does it taste? Do Italians normally eat that for lunch? There were so many questions racing inside his head. _"Adjusting to a different environment is harder than I thought,"_ he said to himself quietly.

A few minutes later and the same waitress came back. This time, with the bruschetta and a pan of what seems to be an odd-looking dish. It looked savory and smelt so aromatic.

"Oh boy, lasagna!" Gilbert cried out with glee. "You're going to love this Luddy, trust me."

"But I thought we were having pasta?"

"Silly brother, it _is_ pasta!"

“I don’t know,” he said as he looked at the dish in scrutiny. “It looks more like a savory cake to me.”

“Well… I guess you can describe this as some sort of celebration cake,” Aldrich remarked. “This isn’t an everyday dish you know, so eat as much as you can.”

Ludwig gingerly took a small portion of the lasagne and tasted it. His brother was most _definitely_ right about this. The Bolognese sauce and the creamy Bechamel mingled in his mouth. The spices bursted with flavor and all of these made him close his eyes in satisfaction.

“I told you Luddy, they got good food here!” Gilbert interrupted, snapping him out of his trance.

“Ah, yes… truly,” was the only words he could mutter.

Gilbert kept shoving more food into his mouth as his father continued to look on until he interrupted him with a disgruntled ‘ahem’ and a stern warning. “Keep doing that and soon enough, you’ll be choking on your own fork.”

Minutes passed on and they had all cleaned up their plates. Their stomachs full and their glasses emptied.

“This was very filling.” Aldrich stood and took his coat. “Shall we go now?”

The two young boys nodded and exited the osteria.

“Wish we had coffee though,” Gilbert mused. “It would have been perfect.”

Ludwig smiled and skipped around. “I’m just glad that my shirt didn’t get dirty from all that sauce, otherwise—”

 _Splat!_ A stray ball had landed on a puddle of mud and dirtied Ludwig’s shirt. He sulked as Gilbert screamed out loud, trying to scold whoever threw that ball.

“You among you _dummkopfs_ threw that! You have an awful lot of nerve to mess with the great and awesome Gilbert Beilschimdt’s little bro—”

“Watch your mouth Gilbert,” his father interrupted.

Soon, a dark-haired boy with a cowlick and thick framed glasses cam running in their direction. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he apologized profusely. “I was being careless and I— Herr Beilschimdt?” The boy recognized the Beildschmidt boy’s father, and the same could be said for Aldrich.

“Ah, Roderich! What a wonderful surprise. I can’t believe your family had made it to Italy as well.” He turned his face towards his children. “Boys, remember Roderich? Your cousin from Austria?”

Gilbert looked closely, and as if a lightbulb was lit on top of his head, he snapped his fingers and pointed a him. “Aha! You were that snobby prick who refused to talk to me at the Christmas dinner party two years ago! I suppose you hated my guts so much that you just had the gall to dirty my brother’s good clothes too!”

“I’m telling you, that was an accident. I’ve apologized countless of times. And what do mean by snobby? _You_ were the one who didn’t want to talk to me.”

Gilbert scoffed. “ _Me? You_ kept staring at me while I was just minding my own business.”

“Its hard not to ignore you when you have a head full of white hair, so don’t go jumping into conclusions,” Roderich retaliated. He then turned to Ludwig and handed him a handkerchief. “I’m truly sorry for ruining your shirt. And I’m even more sorry that you have to put up with your lousy brother.”

“I have ears too you know.”

Lydwig smiled and took the handkerchief. “Thank you for your kind gesture Roderich. And thank you for your condolences as well.”

“I CAN STILL HEAR YOU GUYS YOU KNOW!” Gilbert yelled at the two of them, only to be reciprocated with laughter.

A brown-haired girl then came rushing in their direction, waving her arm at Roderich. “Roddy! There you are. You’ve been gone for a while now, and I see that you’ve found the ball.”

“Oh, who’s this?” Aldrich asked.

“Herr Beilschmidt, this is my friend Elizabeta Héderváry,” Roderich introduced. “She’s also my neighbor. Eliza, this is my Onkel Aldrich and these are my cousins, Ludwig and Gilbert.”

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you all from Roddy,” she said as she shook each of their hands. First shaking Aldrich’s, then Ludwig’, then finally Gilbert’s.

“I’m glad you’ve found a friend in here Roderich.”

Gilbert once again scoffed at his father statement. “Yeah, its _really_ great that you finally have a friend to play dollhouse with _Roddy_.”

Elizabeta (who was still holding Gilbert’s hand) was clearly appalled and quickly let go of it. _“Balfasz.,”_ she muttered under her breath. Gilbert heard her, but had no clue as to what she said; he did look at her in the eye but was reciprocated with a glare.

But Roderich refused to acknowledge his cousin’s sarcastic remarks and took the ball with him. “It was nice meeting you all again Herr Beilschmidt. I should get going now. I’ll make sure to inform my mother that your family has made it to Naples.” Aldrich only nodded in reply as the two children ran off, Elizabeta grabbing Roderich’s hand as he lagged behind.

They continued walking back home and once they made it back, Ludwig immediately went to the basement, took his shirt off, and placed it in the washer to clean. If he’s going to look great on his first day of school, he needed to take care of his clothes as well.

Suddenly, he heard the telephone rang from upstairs, followed by a loud _“I’LL GET IT!”_ from Gilbert. He stayed in the basement until his shirt was washed, then hung it outside to dry. He went back to the living room where Gilbert was now fiddling with the radio.

“Hey Gilbert, who was on the phone?”

“It was just Herr Vargas. He wanted to talk to _Vati_ but since he was asleep, he decided to relay the message to me instead.”

“And what was it? What was the message?” Ludwig asked, this subject clearly piquing his interest.

“What are you, a tattletale?”

“I just want to know. Please tell me~”

Gilbert sighed, giving in. “Alright I’ll tell you… when _Vati_ is awake.”

Ludwig then lightly kicked his brother in the shin, a little irritated that he didn’t tell him.

“What was that for? Besides, you’ll find out either way once I tell _Vati._ The message was pretty boring not gonna lie.”

“Boring or not, the fact of the matter is that _I’m_ bored right now and there’s nothing in here to entertain us.”

“Well, there’s this radio! I’m trying to find a song but all I’m getting is news about the war. Its all ‘Germany this’ and ‘Germany that’, and ‘Axis this’ and ‘Allies that’. Plain stuff. Everything else is static. But what if I hit the radio?”

“Gilbert please don’t hit the radio–“

“Too late I’ve made up my mind. I’m hitting it.”

“GILBERT NO!”

“GILBERT YES!”

And so, Gilbert struck the back of the radio a couple of times with his hand. Ludwig closed his eyes, hoping that nothing bad happened. To their surprise, it actually worked! The static had turned into music and it echoed throughout the house. “What song is this? Ludwig asked.

“Don’t know, but its catchy.” Gilbert suddenly jumped out of his seat and began singing and dancing. He neither knew the lyrics nor its tune, but he tried his best to sing along, albeit poorly. Ludwig could only try to cover his eyes and ears, but Gilbert pulled him forward and started dancing around him. “Come on Luddy! You said you were bored, why don’t you come sing with me.”

“I don’t sing Gilbert.”

“Then dance!”

“I can’t dance either.”

“Suit yourself, I’ll just have fun all by myself.” He continued to circle around Ludwig, singing in gibberish obnoxiously. “Ba ba bachami pichina, something… bo bo bocha pickle-ana…”

“Gilbert please you’re butchering the song.”

“Can you sing any better?” Gilbert mocked. “No, right? So why don’t you relax a little and have some fun!”

Perhaps his brother was right. Perhaps he should just loosen up. After all, life in Germany wasn’t this fun. Ludwig then started tapping his foot and moving his hips.

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about,” his brother chirped. He then took Ludwig’s hand and spun him around as the music continued to play.

_Dammi tan tan tanti baci in quantità_

_Tarataratarataratatà_

_Tu tu tu sei birichina_

_Ma sei ta ta tanto deliziosa_

_Ciò che tin tin t'interessa che cos'è!_

This continued on for several minutes until they were interrupted by a low grunt coming from Aldrich. “What’s with all the racket? I was trying to take a nap.”

“Sorry _Vati,,_ we got bored so we turned on the radio. You should have seen Luddy dance—”

“Shut up Gilbert…” Ludwig then tried to cover his brother’s mouth, yet Aldrich had already begun to chuckle.

“My Ludwig? Dancing? Now this I’ve got to see.”

“Ugh, can we please not talk about that,” Ludwig pouted, his face quickly turning red. “Besides, Gilbert has something to tell you.”

“Quick to change the subject, eh Ludwig?” Gilbert teased. He turned off the radio and leaned on the table. “Herr Vargas called a little while ago and told me to tell you that he was coming back here next week with some guests. He also told me that we should prepare some special dinner.”

“Did he say who his guests were?”

“Nope. He was pretty vague about that. Ah, I should have asked him about that.”

“Its fine Gilbert. I’ll just have to think of something that’s palatable for all kinds of people.”

The telephone began to ring again.

“Wonder who that could be?” Ludwig asked.

“Maybe its Herr Vargas?” Gilbert replied.

Adlrich walked up and answered the phone. “Hello?... Yes, this is Aldrich Beilschmidt speaking… Giselle! How are you?... I’m glad. I’m doing great as well… Yes, the boys are with me… Dinner?... Absolutely… Take care then. _Auf wiederhören._ ” Aldrich placed sown the phone and sat back down.

“Who was that, _Vati_?” Ludwig asked.

“Your _Tante_ Giselle, Roderich’s mother. She has invited us to come over for dinner tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? But my shirt won’t be dry until then.”

Gilbert beamed and patted Ludwig’s back. “Not to worry Luddy. Your big brother has got you covered. I’ve got tons of neat clothes that cou can borrow!”

“I’m afraid your clothes are too big for me.”

“Ok, that’s enough,” his father interjected. “It’s going to be fine Ludwig. We’re not going to some fancy dinner. We’re just meeting up with our relatives, that’s all. Why don’t you two take this opportunity to reconnect with your cousin.”

“Eugh! That snob?” Gilbert cried in disgust. “No way, I’d rather stay here all by myself than go hang out with _that_ girly dude. Too posh for my tastes.”

“Gilbert! Don’t insult your cousin like that. He’s still family whether you like it or not. Besides, I’m pretty sure they’re going to serve _Schnitzel_ and _Schweinshaxe._ Those _are_ your favorites, aren’t they?”

Gilbert pursed his lips and sighed. “Fine, I’ll go but ONLY because you told me so… and because there’s food.”

Aldrich smiled and ruffled both of his son’s hair. “Now this is more like it. Remember to be on your best behavior when we get there, ok?” Ludwig nodded enthusiastically while Gilbert responded with a small grunt.

As the sun went down, Ludwig climbed up to their room and laid there happily. He remembers the last time his _Tante_ Giselle came over for Christmas when he was but seven years old, serving her famous _Weihnachtsgans_ and _Kartoffelpuffer._ He remembers the taste vividly, and remembers when Gilbert spilled _Glühwein_ all over their good carpets. He also remembers what his _Tante_ was like. How her blonde hair was usually kept in a tight bun; how she would always insist their father to let her keep her favorite black shoes on at all times; and how she would always share the same story of how Gilbert was named after her, who in turn was also named after their grandmother Gisa.

He continued reminiscing and was interrupted when Gilbert opened the door and plopped down beside him.

“Ah, I really don’t want to go, but _Tante_ Giselle’s food is too good,” Gilbert moaned.

“Is Roderich the only reason why you don’t want to go?”

He was met with silence, before Gilbert sighed and looked at him in the eye. “No, not really.”

“What’s your other reason then?”

“The girl.”

“Girl?” Ludwig asked.

“The girl that Roderich was with, Elizabeta. She’s their neighbor and I’m pretty sure we’ll meet her one way or another.”

“So? What’s the problem with that?”

Gilbert sat upright and clutched his brother’s shoulders. “She hates my guts! She glared at me when she was shaking my hand.”

“Maybe because you insulted her friend in front of her face. Why does her opinion matter so much to you anyway?

Gilbert huffed and turned his body away from Ludwig. “Just don’t ask anymore. Forget I said anything. Wake me up when dinner’s ready or something. I’m taking a nap.” He hid his face with a pillow and covered himself under the blanket.

Ludwig only shrugged (as he thought it was for the best that he wouldn’t pry any further) and went back down stairs. He saw the radio once again and decided to turn it on again, looking for something to entertain him. After minutes of fiddling, he found another station playing a different song. He leaned on the chair and listened closely to the song.

It was a lovely song, accompanied with the sound of church bells and violins, and then a lovely voice that sang its lyrics.

_'E' una casetta piccina sbocciata tra fior_

_Dove si attende soltanto che giunga l'amor_

_Come una piccola fata tu darle vita saprai_

_Della casetta cantata la gioia sarai_

_Sposi_

_Oggi s'avvera sogno_

_Siamo sposi_

_S'apre la nuova vita nostra_

_E piu' gioiosi radiosi saranno di_

_In una soffusa aurora_

_Di tenera dolce pace_

_Sposi oggi s'avvera sogno_

_Siamo sposi_

_Tutto s'avvera_

_Noi d'intorno e luminosi_

_Ci sembran perfino fior_

_Sposi siamo fin mio dolce amor._

_E luminosi ci sembran perfino_

_Sposi siamo alfin mio dolce amor_

The song was gentle and melodic, pleasant to his ears and nearly lulling him to sleep. _“Italy is nice”_ he thought. _“Maybe staying here forever isn’t so bad.”_ He thought of all the wonderful things he could do in Italy that he couldn’t do back home in Germany. He could bask under the sun without any American soldiers to pester them. He could walk around with less scrutiny because of his “Aryan” appearance. He wouldn’t have to worry too much about his brother getting picked on by the neighbor’s kids. He wouldn’t have to worry about his father’s employment. He wouldn’t have to worry about being forced to join the _Hitlerjugend_ and pledge allegiance to Germany. And he wouldn’t have to worry about getting drafted in the military, or for anyone else to get drafted for that matter. For war, he thinks, is a waste of time and resources.

As the song on the radio ends, the sky had already turned over a different face and the moon and stars greeted him with its faint light. Ludwig thought back to the people he knew back in Frankfurt. He wondered how they were faring, what they were doing, and where they were now. He wondered what happened to his schoolmates, whether they were still around or not. He wondered how many among those people he knew died for a faulty cause. He wondered, as he looked at the sky above, if they saw the same stars as he did in Italy.

Ludwig felt emotional, as a few tears managed to escape from his eyes and stream down his face. He wiped them away when his father called them over for dinner. What’s done is done, no need to feel emotional now. He can finally have a fresh start, a clean slate, and leave Germany behind in the past.

Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used: "Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina" and "C'è una casetta piccina - Sposi". Both songs by Alberto Rabagliati.


End file.
